Three sisters and their mother will feature for the Waikato Wizards in the women's National Basketball League.
Leanne Walker Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Three Leger-Walker sisters will suit up in Waikato Wizards colours this season and play for Head Coach Leanne Walker, their mother.
Last year's beaten grand finalists opened the new season with a 94-59 win over the Auckland Dream on Thursday night.
University of Washington stars Krystal and Charlisse are joined by their younger sister Tannika, still a student at St Peter's School, Cambridge.
The Waikato Wizards are not relying solely on the Leger-Walker sisters to take them one step further than the runners-up spot they claimed in 2020. Tall Fern guard Pep Flavell returns alongside Kayla Manuirirangi giving The Wizards arguably the strongest back-court in the competition.
The competition will be held in Auckland and will run every Thursday-Sunday for five weeks with each team playing each other twice before a top four play-off.
North Harbour defend the title they won last year.
Ella Fotu, Tiarna Clark, Jazz Kailahi-Fulu, Keeley Tini and Ash Kelman-Poto all return from last season's championship winning team but with 2020 MVP Brooke Blair and fellow Tall Fern Zara Jillings overseas, another unbeaten season looks unlikely.
In addition there are injury concerns hanging over Kelman-Poto's participation in the early rounds of this campaign.
Harbour Breeze, 2020 NBL champions Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Elsewhere, Tessa Boagni makes her return to competition for the Canterbury Wildcats for the first time since 2019 after the birth of her first child, and former Tall Fern Josie Stockill returns to Aotearoa after stints overseas and will suit up for the Capital Swish.
In addition to Stockill, the Swish are bolstered by the inclusion of international Jacinta Beckley and Fijian national representative Letava Whippy.
The Auckland Dream have retained the core of last year's team and have been strengthened with the addition of Esra McGoldrick, who impressed with Waikato last year and Milomilo Nanai.
The Otago Gold Rush will again be relying on the vastly experienced pair of Bronwyn Kjestrup and Lisa Wallbuton and they've added former Junior Tall Fern Stirling Walker-Pitman, Scottish international Beth Mackie and Hannah Beede, daughter of former Tall Ferns manager Denise Beede.
